Classic soul shit. Impossible to dislike even though it's not really my thing. Incredible singing obviously, great piano and sax solos throughout. The big band backing arrangements on side one get a little hard to differentiate across songs (a little samey/repetitive), but it's never bad. Side two is preferred for me with the more orchestral arrangements. Really a go to album if you're in the mood for that 50s jazz club atmosphere. Favourite songs were "Just for a Thrill" and "Am I Blue".
A lot of this album feels like the soundtrack to a roadtrip down dusty back roads in a old rusted pickup truck. I think this is their first album without Brian Jones and you can really feel it. Lots of straightforward bluesy rocky chorus verse stuff, but really the best version of that. The standout songs are when they add a bit more instrumentation like on Moonlight Mile. That's a really great song. Other standouts were Wild Horses and Bitch
Feel like I don't have a lot to say about this one. It's more of Ray Charles just doing what he's really great at. He really makes all of these old standards his own with that voice. Similar to the Genius of Ray charles, the instrumentation kind of falls into the background for me, but maybe thats the point? I'd say none of the songs on here really reach the high moments of Genius of Ray Charles. I did enjoy the integration of more country style music with his gospel like vocals (particularly on I Can't Stop Loving You). Not really anything bad here, but no big standouts either for me. All in all it's another great album if you're looking for that 50s dim lit, smoke filled jazz club vibe.
Oh man I do not vibe with this sound at all. A word that popped in my head on the first song was "corny", and I think that describes this album well. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe a lot of this was meant to be tongue in cheek, but if that's the case at least give us some interesting song stucture. Like Money for Nothing has ABSOLITELY NO reason for being 8 minutes long. I love long jammy songs, but this song goes absolutely nowhere with the same repeating boring guitar riff front and center the whole time.
We're also blessed with genius lyrics like "See the little faggot with the earring and the make-up?
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot, he's a millionaire".
I understand this song is from the perspective of some record exec, but its really just lazy writing man.
There's also so many irritating sounds througout this album, the guitar tones are genuinely ear grating throughout.
I actually looked this album up because in my mind it is remembered quite fondly culturally. I was rather surprised to find some quite scathing reviews on its initial release. I'm quotting one here because it sums up exactly how I felt better than I can really: "tritest would-be melodies in history, the last word in tranquilising chord changes, the most cloying lonesome playing and ultimate in transparently fake troubador sentiment ever to ooze out of a million-dollar recording studio". Just really not for me.
Woah this one surprised me. I'm not farmiliar with John Martyn but this sort of progressive folk style is right up my alley. So many beautiful subtle moments just on the first song alone. Masterful guitar playing backed by soft keys and sax. Feels like I'm walking down a dead city street on a cool grey fall morning.
The second song (Over the Hill) I knew without realizing it! This guy really captures the spirit of British folk in the 70s on this song.
A lot of the other songs throughout maintain this calm but eerie ambiance with the backing instruments, makes the whole album feel extremely cohesive.
Don't Want to Know ends to early for me, this could extend into some like 10 minute jam at the end and itd be heavenly.
The bass on I'd rather be the devil is just wild. So many interesting sounds on this album. This one also has elements of jazz mixed in throughout. I feel there's a huge influence of Miles Davis Bitches Brew felt on a few of these songs (Dreams by the Sea being a prime example).
Genuinely can't believe I've never heard this, it' like Nick Drake meets Miles Davis. It's progressive folk at its absolute peak.
Not a ton to say about this one... very 90s guitar sounds that I fojnd pretty enjoyable on a few tracks, but all around the lyrics made this a pretty tough listen..
There's a couple absolute classic on here. But it's definitely too long, not enough variety or substance for a 2 hour album. Best songs are 1979 and Bullet with butterfly wings (this song wil randomly jump in my head ever since I first heard it)
Absolute nostslgia trip for me. These guys were one of the first bands I ever saw live, and I pretty much learned to drum playing along to this album. Hard for me to not give this 5 but I don't think it quite reaches that height. Every song on here is great, banger after banger, but there's not a ton of variety in the end. If you enjoy that 2000s indie rock sound, this really is the best that era has to offer.
How can you not love Dolly Parton. She's one of those people whose voice is confusingly magical. This really is a landmark album for her with numerous touching sincere moments (Coat of Many Colors and My Blue Tears being obvious standouts), paired with some truly hilarious moments (Travellin man). She packs SO MUCH into this short album, I could not believe this was only ~27 mins. I could honestly listen to this thing over and over again I don't have a single bad thing to say about it.
I feel like for a live album to be on this list it REALLY needs to be the epitome of live albums. I'm not really sure this is that, but Keith Moon's drumming is fucking incredible here and that's enough for me.
The second half of this thing caught me by surprise. It sounds almost exactly like a Popol Vuh record. Definitely not Bowies best work but he's exploring sone really interesting synthy sounds here. Pretty damn bold to go for full instrumentals on the second half
I realize this is very competently made music, but this is absolutely mind numbingly dull. Craft store core.
This one caught me off guard! I know some Bee Gees songs of course but nothing from this album. Not what I expected at all! This starts off incredibly beautiful. Interesting progressive pop type thing going on in the first track. Strong baroque vibes going on throughout this whole thing. It's definitely a little too long, some of these songs could have been shortened down or cut altogether I feel. Some really cool stuff on here though! I really like Marley Purt Drive which kinda sounds like that song The Weight from the Band which came out around the same time... Some stuff on here just rubs the wrong way I can't quite put my finger on it, maybe a bit melodramatic and tedious (Lamplight is a good example). I think maybe they were going for that melodramatic sound, but it comes off a but much on some of these songs. They tone is best on songs like First of May.,
some real classic on here obviously, great fall album for cozying next to a fire
Hell yeah inject that hippie shit straight into my veins. Its albums like this that make you feel like they were really on to sonething in thay era. Very excited when I saw this was the album this morning, another one with great fall vibes. There's some tracks on here that are absolute classics and that I can listen to over and over (Friend of the Devil, Ripple). Listening to this makes me feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be at exactly the right time. This is one of, if not, their best studio albums. Couple of meh ones on here so not quite 5 stars.
Fantastic moody 80s vibes. Great for driving around the city in the rain
Pretty cool! There's definitely a lot of different kinds of rock influences going on here, which would generally be my thing. Somehow this record doesn't work as much for me as I feel like it should. It doesn't feel like many of these songs go anywhere that interesting. It's all quite gopd, just nothing truly great here (don't really see myself listening to this again).
I don't have time to write much for this one. It's ethereal and one of a kind, I love every minute from front to back.
Somehow I've never listenes to a full Neil Young album. Everything on here is really good. It's full of that wholesome rough around the edges vibe he often gives me.
I've heard this when it came out and it really is incredible. It' an extremely tough listen with the lyricals seemingly mostly motivated by the death of Nick Cave's kid. While the themes are somber and presented beautifully, the musical experimentation cave and warren ellis have going on here is some of their best. It's a challenging listen but extremely rewarding.
Super fun! It's that sleazy kind of glam rock proto punk that paints a real clear picture of new york in the mid 70s.
Wish I had nore time to review.. its a classic psych album, but not one of the best
This is real cool! Gave me similar moody vibes to Cocteau Twins, but maybe thats just 80s music? Lots of great moments on this anyway, Stsnding in the Light has a really great guitar part that comes in and out. Just a really cool mix of spooky synths with electric guitar. Love the weird effects they seem to have going on the drums as well. The vocals are phenomenal. Just real iconic 80s shit.
HOLY SHIT. This is one of those albums where I can't understand how I haven't heard it before. This really is the spiritual successor to groups like Parliament/Funkadelic and you can hear them laying out the foundation of early hip hop. The bass lines are absolutely killer on this thing, even though a lot of the lyrics come off as a little goofy, everything just feels extremely cool. The samples they use are phenomenal (think some of them are from that Incredible Bongo Band album?) . Obvious standout here is The Message (this track is absolutely timeless), but there's not a single sleeper track.
This absolutely blew my mind. I know one or two Janelle Monae songs but nothing from this album. I feel like you could describe this album as something close to psychedelic progressive soul. There's themes of afrofuturism and cyberpunk going on, which gels incredibly well with the almost impossible combination of musical influences. Despite the myriad of genre influence - everything from folk, hip-hop, glam rock, soul, and pop, all thrown together in some psychedelic soup - the whole thing feels so cohesive. Most tracks transition seamlessly into the next, really solidifying the feeling of a journey this album takes you on. And the whole thing manages to be just so much FUN! Even though we're only ~10 years out from this things release, it 100% has the makings of a timeless classic.
